Alaska Airlines’ acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines continues to reshape the Hawaii industry, with major changes still unfolding. The merger, completed in September 2024, has significantly strengthened Alaska’s position by integrating Hawaiian’s extensive mainland, interisland, and international network with Alaska’s mainland strongholds.
As travelers adjust to evolving opportunities and challenges, the full impact of this consolidation is just beginning to take shape—potentially affecting routes, fares, and service quality.
Alaska Air Group, the parent company of Alaska Airlines and Hawaiian, is set to release its fourth-quarter financial results tomorrow, January 23, 2025. The company is expected to shed further light on the financial implications of the merger and Alaska’s strategy in Hawaii and beyond. Travelers and industry watchers are all keen to know more about how Alaska’s plans will impact Hawaii flights in the months and years ahead.
Financially, the integration of Hawaiian Airlines has presented both opportunities and challenges for Alaska. The airline has expanded its network and strengthened its presence in Hawaii but has incurred rising operational costs, while the complexities of merging two distinct airlines have added pressure. Alaska’s strategy to leverage Hawaiian’s year-round travel demand aims to create an even more stable financial outlook.
Industry analysts expect Alaska to reveal key insights during tomorrow’s call, potentially including updates on fleet optimization, routes, and the long-term role of Hawaiian’s widebody aircraft within Alaska’s growing international aspirations.
While the combined airline has already begun to streamline operations and optimize route efficiency, much of the work remains ahead as the two move to operating as one company later in 2025 and fully integrate their systems in 2026. Questions remain about how this will unfold and the impact on Hawaii visitors and residents in particular.
Expanding Alaska’s Hawaii presence.
Alaska Airlines has long been a major player in the Hawaii market, now over fifteen years, and the addition of Hawaiian’s network further solidified its reach. With this merger, Alaska now commands a larger share of flights between the mainland and Hawaii, nearly fifty percent, increasing connectivity options for travelers and reducing competition.
Hawaiian Airlines’ interisland routes, a critical component of Hawaii’s travel infrastructure, also remain in focus. While Alaska has stated its commitment to maintaining interisland services, the long-term outlook remains in flux as the airline evaluates operational efficiencies, demand trends, new aircraft, and more. The potential for change in this area is vast.
Widebody deployment and new international routes.
One of the most visible recent changes in the integration of Alaska and Hawaiian is the upcoming deployment of some Hawaiian’s Airbus A330 widebody aircraft to Alaska’s hub in Seattle. This move also marks Alaska’s first major foray into long-haul international flights, with planned routes to Asia and potentially Europe and elsewhere. The shift aims to leverage Seattle’s strategic location and create new connections beyond Hawaii. Flights to Tokyo Narita, and Seoul are among the first international routes set to launch using Hawaiian’s fleet.
For Hawaii travelers, the question remains whether this will mean fewer widebody options on routes traditionally served by Hawaiian, as Alaska repositions its fleet to optimize profitability. Flights between Hawaii and the mainland are expected to continue to include widebody planes on routes where they are deemed necessary, while primarily focusing on narrow-body aircraft such as their Boeing 737 MAX and Airbus A321neo fleets.
Changes in loyalty programs and benefits.
With the merger, Alaska Airlines is also integrating Hawaiian’s loyalty program with its existing Mileage Plan. While the transition is still underway, and more will be revealed, travelers may benefit from expanded earning and redemption opportunities, particularly for flights beyond Hawaii. That has always been a limitation of Hawaiian’s program and a positive aspect of Alaska’s. The Alaska and soon Hawaiian Oneworld alliance membership should also provide new travel options for Hawaii travelers.
However, uncertainties remain regarding credit card programs. Hawaiian’s current co-branded credit card with Barclays continues to be promoted despite the likelihood of changes as Alaska’s Bank of America partnership takes precedence. We’ve suggested that travelers monitor updates closely and consider how these changes could affect their travel rewards and credit card strategies.
What travelers should expect next.
As the integration process unfolds, travelers can anticipate a mix of benefits and adjustments. Expanded route options, streamlined operations, and potential cost savings are among the positives. However, concerns over rising fares with less competition, reduced service differentiation, and the potential of phasing out some of Hawaiian’s signature offerings, such as complimentary (albeit disappointing) meals and island-inspired hospitality, remain important.
Hawaii air travel is shifting in one of the most major ways ever.
Looking ahead, Alaska Airlines is quickly moving towards fully integrating Hawaiian’s operations. With this milestone will come the complete transition of flight operations and customer service.
The merger also positions Alaska to compete more aggressively in international markets while continuing to build on its strong domestic network, both on the West Coast and in Hawaii. Whether and how this translates into long-term benefits for Hawaii travelers remains to be seen, but it’s clear that the landscape of Hawaii air travel has shifted in one of the most significant ways ever.
With expanded routes, an evolving joint loyalty program, and operational changes, travelers need to remain informed and adaptable. Navigating the new realities of island travel will require attention to ongoing updates and changes.
Stay tuned for more news tomorrow!
Get Breaking Hawaii Travel News
I was afraid this would happen with the merger….
We really like Hawaiian Air and have always had reasonable prices and love the “aloha”environment. I have always found Alaska Air to be more expensive and they have a “pared down” economy feeling about the airline. I’ve been trying to book our family tickets to the Big Island and the price is outrageous! Granted it’s during our Spring Break but in the past I’ve always been able to find a reasonable price on Hawaiian even during Spring Break. These prices are ridiculous! Very disappointed. ☹️
I am a Puulani Hawaiian member traveling regularly to Asia and the mainland. We just flew back from Ontario – no more Hawaiian flights starting in June. Also we’ve noticed Hawaiian is flying only to Haneda; no flights to Narita.
Airfare is definitely going UP! Tried to book a first class flight from SAN to HNL yesterday with points, it wasn’t allowed (I had almost 200K in the system). So I left the website for 15 mins to attend to another matter, and by the time I came back to check on the ‘dollars’ amount for the flight, the price had gone up $465! Crap! The cost of a R/T first class ticket was pushing $3K, in some cases more. And that included non-widebody flights. I could fly to London for a bit more than that! The only ‘affordable’ first class (at around $1600+) was a ‘red-eye’ flown by Alaska. I can imagine what kind of condition your would be in after That flight! At this rate, flying to HI is going to price the average family out of the market, and HI will once again be one of those ‘one of these days we will be able to go to HI’ kind of things.
I prefer Hawaiian airlines and I have been following flight prices for August. I also have Hawaiian miles which I want to use to book my family’s trip. I already see changes on the website .i.e. , that you can’t see what seats are available until after you book. What if you pay and can’t get seats you want ?
My biggest question to everyone, how long should I wait to book? My travel dates are set.
I have same question on booking airfare. Condo set abd airfare is thru the roof. Gambling they go down in february for late June travel. Both alaska and southwest have gone up hundreds from last year trip.
Aloha Beth,
If you know when you are going to go for sure and are in a position to buy your tickets on Hawaiian then do it as soon as you can. We bought our tickets from SFO to Maui last October for a June 2025 vacation. The prices for our flight over have gone up $200 from the $329 we paid. And the prices for our inter island flights have doubled, from $70 to at least $140. However when we bought our tickets Alaska still had a flight to Maui; now it is only Hawaiian and United direct out of SFO. Hope this helps.
From Bay Area CA here, just booked for upcoming trip to Oahu in May using miles. Was able to transfer miles from Alaska to HA. Noticed all flights are only on HA planes now (even Alaska portal points to HA flights), so appears there are less flights now? Flight schedules from Bay Area have also changed. I hope these changes are only temporary.